Hold On
by zacefronlvr14
Summary: I promised him, and I keep my promises. I recommend listening to Hold On by Chord Overstreet while reading this story! It inspired me to write it! :)


"_Troy, I'm sorry but something came up at home, and I won't be able to make it, anymore. I'm so sorry."_

"_It's okay, things happen, I get it Gabriella. Um-I guess I'll see you on Monday?" I could sense the disappointment and hurt so clearly that I wanted to cry. I was so angry with my mother. Why couldn't she understand that I needed a break and to be there for Troy._

"_Are you still going to go visit her?" I asked with a cheerier voice, in hopes of lifting his spirits._

"_No, not today. I gotta go. Goodbye, Gabriella." He whispered and hung up immediately, not giving me a chance to say goodbye. I stood with my back to the door and ended up crumpling onto the floor. I'm so sorry I let you down Troy."_

"Mom, please, try to understand where I'm coming from." I took a pause, taking in her reaction to what I said. Like I've told her before, I always do the right thing. My little brother is hurt. Like hurt, hurt. My little 6 year old brother-Aaron-just had yet another surgery after he got into a car accident. I've stayed by his side with no intention of leaving; until I met Troy Bolton. It wasn't like I would leave and never come back. The situation at hand just required me to be there for Troy when he really needed me; for just a couple of hours. With Aaron, I've stayed by his side at all times besides going to school. I've quit all my extra curricular activities, and I'm totally okay with my decisions, I insisted on making those decisions, because I love my Aaron. However, getting to know Troy, I've realized just how much I've been missing out on things. Troy has made me feel like how I think actual teenagers in love are supposed to feel-well based off on what I've seen in movies. And being around him, I'm really happy and I like the person I am when I'm with him.

Troy is a wonderful man-all of the 5'8'', blue eyes, handsome, and kind person he is. What I've learned after taking an interest in him, is that he's been through hell and back. So much that it consists of his mother being in rehab, and him feeling like he can never build up the courage to visit her. He also has a difficult time trusting and letting people get to know the different, more personal side of him. He doesn't have a family that lives with him, he's usually by himself and the fact that he confided with me with all of this has made me realize, he trusts me and that is such an important milestone for the both of us. I can really say, I'm really starting to fall in love with him, if I haven't already.

"_Hey, um I wouldn't really ask you this-or ask anyone this-...but my mom wrote to me again. And I think I'm ready to see her, like in person. I was wondering if you-uh could come with me?"_

_Well, that was the last thing I thought he would ever ask me, this was huge._

"_I mean if you can't or don't want to I comple-"_

"_I'd love to." I said with a genuine smile pulling at my lips._

_He let out a breath he had been holding. It wasn't like him to be coy. "Really?"_

"_Yeah, I'll be at your place and then we can go?"_

"_Y-yeah that sounds like a plan." He said with relief and a smile. "But are you sure you really want to come with? I don't want you to feel pressured." His eyebrows creased with a dreadful thought of that possibility. Except with me, that would never happen._

"_No, uh-it means a lot that you asked me to come with. I'll be there. I promise."_

_He flashed his million dollar smile. "Okay." he whispered. _

"I don't care, Gabriella. You need to be with your family. You need to be here for Aaron, not running around doing god knows what with a delinquent boy whose mother is in jail." Says the woman whose never here for her children and blames them for her mistakes constantly, and goes around at night doing god knows what. I never feel safe around her, the air always being tense and cutthroat. I hate her for saying all this, things she has no knowledge about or deserves to know.

This angered me. "How do you know about his mom?"

"Oh, honey. You're a lot more gullible than you think. I know people who know people, and it wasn't too hard to figure it out. But with Troy, you might not want to get involved with him, because he's going to end up right where his junkie mother is."

This infuriated me. "You don't know anything about him or who his mother is. Yeah, she may be dealing with some stuff, but at least she's working on it. I wish I could say the same for you based on the fact that you're never here for me, Ben, or Aaron!" I screamed. That didn't set well with my mother, who reacted with a slap to my cheek so hard, I could feel the sting which made my eyes automatically tear up.

"Mom!" Ben roared. I turned to his face crumpled with disappointment and anger. "Get away from her." Ben said tensely and grabbing my arm to pull me behind him. "I've had enough of the way you treat Gabriella. Yeah, I might not be home all the time, but if this is the way you treat her while I'm gone, I won't dare leave her or Aaon with you."

"Be quiet, Bennet. And yes, you're never here. You left to serve remember? Fighting for people you don't know, instead of fighting for your family!" At this point, I couldn't hold my cries silent.

Ben turned to me and whispered. "Go do what you have to do, I'll handle her and watch Adrian. Go." And in that moment, any grudge I had against Ben-and trust me there was a lot, especially pertaining to him leaving me with the monster of a mother we have- I let go. I owed him. I knew that with him here now, Aaron would be safe, and that was yet another relief to me.

I nodded and rushed off upstairs to grab my things and leave the house. I could hear Ben and my mom going at it. But tonight that didn't concern me, all that mattered was that I be there for Troy.

I stood outside his door for a good three minutes before gathering up the courage to ring the doorbell of the small house he was renting.

When Troy opened the door, he didn't seem to be exactly happy to see me, more confused and annoyed.

"Hi." I said meekly.

"Hi." He drawled out. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a family thing?" He didn't know about Aaron, but that would be for another conversation, for a later time.

I stared at him for a couple of seconds as teared gathered in my eyes. God, I was really falling for him and to think I was going to leave him in the dust like that, I would've hated myself. But I'm a woman of my word. I was going to leave the house one way or the other.

"Gabriella, what's wrong?" Troy's voice dropped low with concern laced in his voice, and grabbed onto my arm to bring me out of my stoop.

"I promised you. And I keep my promises." I said with teary conviction.

"I already told my mom, I wasn't coming tonight." He looked down.

"Well, great. We're gonna surprise her. Go put on something presentable." I looked down at his red and black pajama pants and white tee.

He finally let out a smirk. "Whatever you say, Montez." He breathed and pulled me into the house.

Troy's mom was wonderful, and she glowed with surprise when she saw Troy, that she burst into tears. She had a kind and welcoming demeanor, that my mother could never even fathom to have. Troy had been silent and hesitant to talk, but he really had tried, because I know despite with what has happened between them. Troy loved his mom, so much. And before we knew it, we were laughing and his mom was sharing embarrassing stories of Troy, so many that I will never let him live down. It was 10:30 by the time we had to leave.  
"I love you, Mama. I'll be back again." He whispered and then kissed her cheek.

"Bye, my baby boy." She said with tears in her eyes. She then turned to me. "It was great meeting you sweetie, thank you for keeping this one in check. I hope to see you soon too, sweetheart."

Jesus, this woman has made me feel more loved than I've ever experienced in my 18 years of life. "I hope to see you soon too." I gave her a hug, I had to, in which she squeezed back with warmth.

In the parking lot, I had expected Troy to start defending against all the embarrassing stories that were shared tonight, but he stayed silent, looking straight ahead in a haze.

'T-Troy, are you okay?" I whispered.  
"I don't think I can drive right now." He said lowly.

"That's okay, I can. Let's switch." He just nodded.

He still remained silent, even after the switch of positions.

"Troy, what's going on in that head of yours?" I pushed softly

He hesitated before letting out a sigh. "I didn't know what to expect while we were driving here. Hell, I didn't think I was going to come anymore." That made my heart drop to my stomach and my body to surge with a shock. "But the fact that I did, and saw her...shit Gabriella...she was alone for so long, all because I couldn't even gather the courage to see her. And when she smiled and told us all those stories, that's the happiest I've seen her in a long time, or that I even remember seeing." I could see him getting worked up.

"But you did, and it wasn't an easy thing to do. It wasn't." I said softly, putting my hand over his. "You gave her the best thing she could've asked for, and that was to see you. It doesn't matter that it took a while. You did it when you were ready and Troy...that's something powerful and encouraging for her."

He nodded, and I saw one tear fall down his cheek. He turned to me. "I-I wouldn't have even had the power to come here, if it weren't for you. Thank you, Gabriella. Thank you so much." He whispered intensely.

"There really is no other place I would want to be, than being here with you." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. He let out a watery and soft chuckle. "Same here." We stared at each other for a while longer. His eyes started to water more. What was wrong? He leaned back and put an arm over his eyes. "I really miss her, Gabriella." He choked out before rocking with silent tears and cried into his arm.

My heart broke for the boy who has endured more pain than a person has. Not having and feeling protected by the one person who is supposed to be your rock and care for you. I knew that feeling, more than he knew. I pulled the arm over his eyes and pulled him into my arms and cradled his head into my neck. "Shh I got you, I got you Troy. I'm here, I'm here." Tears leaked out of my eyes as he silently sobbed into my neck. I pressed soft kisses against his head and held him tighter. "It's gonna be okay, it's going to get better now. _I promise_."


End file.
